The FBI is launching an investigation into the legality of sports betting sites, the Wall Street Journal reported.The investigation was launched to find out if the businesses, including Boston-based DraftKings, is breaking any federal laws.The Wall Street Journal reported that the Boston FBI office contacted customers of DraftKings as part of a Department of Justice investigation into the legality of daily sports betting sites. Daily fantasy sites have long claimed that the fantasy sports provision in the 2006 anti-gambling law allows them to operate freely in the 45 states that don't have specific prohibitions on the contests. Sports betting and other types of gambling on the Internet are mostly illegal in the United States, though horse racing was also given an exception in the 2006 law.FanDuel and DraftKings both promote themselves as offering games of skill, shying away from the label of gambling."The legality of daily fantasy sports is the same as that of season long fantasy sports," DraftKings says on its website.

BOSTON —

The FBI is launching an investigation into the legality of sports betting sites, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The investigation was launched to find out if the businesses, including Boston-based DraftKings, is breaking any federal laws.

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The Wall Street Journal reported that the Boston FBI office contacted customers of DraftKings as part of a Department of Justice investigation into the legality of daily sports betting sites.

Daily fantasy sites have long claimed that the fantasy sports provision in the 2006 anti-gambling law allows them to operate freely in the 45 states that don't have specific prohibitions on the contests. Sports betting and other types of gambling on the Internet are mostly illegal in the United States, though horse racing was also given an exception in the 2006 law.

FanDuel and DraftKings both promote themselves as offering games of skill, shying away from the label of gambling.

"The legality of daily fantasy sports is the same as that of season long fantasy sports," DraftKings says on its website.